The man who helped develop Corey Crawford into one of the NHL's best goaltenders has left the Chicago Blackhawks organization to coach with the Montreal Canadiens.

Stephane Waite, who just completed his 10th season with the Hawks and helped guide Crawford and backup Ray Emery to the William B. Jennings Trophy -- awarded to the team with the best goals-against average -- was hired by the Canadiens on Thursday.

"Stephane Waite has over 30 years of experience as a goaltending coach, including the past 10 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks organization," said former Hawks assistant general manager and current Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin in a statement. "He contributed to two Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks during his tenure working closely with two different goaltenders, namely Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford. We are very pleased to welcome Stephane in our organization. He has a vast experience and a thorough knowledge of our local market and we are convinced that out goaltenders will benefit from his expertise and his work ethic."

In addition to working with Crawford, who was arguably the Hawks' most valuable player during their run to the 2013 Stanley Cup, Waite helped develop Niemi into a top-flight goalie.

"We would like to thank Stephane for his 10 years of service with the Blackhawks organization and the quality of work he put in with many goaltenders over that period of time," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "We wish him and his family the best in his new position."